20 years as an Orthopaedic & Spinal Surgeon in Private Practice and Residency Training (Chief of Spine Surgery and Director of Orthopaedic Research) for all spinal pathologies and Level I Orthopedic Trauma Injuries
3 Spinal Fellowships
Over 6,000 Spine Surgeries and 2,000 Orthopaedic Trauma Surgeries
Trained 25 Fellows (Clinical and Basic Science Research)
Trained over 2,000 surgeons in courses and surgeries
Guest Professor and surgeries in 15 countries
Over 3,500 lectures and presentations worldwide
100+ peer reviewed publications and book chapters (including white papers and surgical techniques) over 30 years
Developed numerous new surgical techniques
30 Patents or PCT currently (others in progress)
Inventor or Co-Inventor of several diverse Medical Devices
Co-Founder of International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery (formerly Spine Arthroplasty Society)
Different Boards for NASS and ISASS
Editorial Review for Spine and European Journal of Spine
Participated in 10 IDE or other Clinical Studies
Prinicipal in starting Medtronic Sofamor Danek, Depuy Spine and instrumental as KOL / Surgeon / Scientific Advisory Boards for Synthes Spine, Osteotech, Cortek, EBI, Bioelecton, Interpore Cross, Acromed. Computer Motion, Endius, Orthologic, Spine Next, Raymedica, SpineVision and Paradigm Spine
Research / Inventions / Surgical Techniques
Dual Ph.D. (one in Pharmacology and one in Nutrition) with Thesis on “Multiple Drug Metabolism in Isolated Hepatocytes” and completed while in Medical School
Evaluation of Fracture Healing in Diabetic Rats during Medical School
Modification of TSRH Pedicle Screw System from Scoliosis to a Thoracolumbar System (MSD)
Development of first known Spondylolisthesis Reduction System (TSRH) and the surgical technique (MSD)
Developer of the Anterior Dual Upright TSRH Construct for anterior reconstruction of Thoracolumbar Pathologies (MSD)
Single inventor of Orion Cervical Plating System (MSD) and from $0 to $35+ Million /yr product and 3rd cervical plate developed which stimulated stimulated huge market growth in cervical plating
Cervical Pedicle Probe and Tap for placement of posterior cervical screws (MSD) and surgical technique for Posterior Cervical Hybrid Reconstruction especially across the cervicothoracic junction
Development of Lordotic Distractor for the cervical spine reconstruction and plating (MSD)
Refinement of Cervifix Posterior Screw Rod Sysyem (Synthes)
Transverse Loaded Spinal Fixation (Personal)
Suprafascial Percutaneous Pedicle Screw / Rod and surgical technique for Thoracolumbar pathologies (Personal)
Studies involving implantable Bone Growth Stimulators and External Brace / Bone Growth Stimulator (EBI)
External Bone Growth Stimulation (Bioelectron)
Co-Developer of the first Prosthetic Interbody Fusion Device (TSM :Titanium Surgical Mesh) (Jurgen Harms :Depuy Spine) for PLIF and ALIF
Co-Development of custom Carbon Fiber Interbody Cages (Acromed)
Co-Development of custom Stackable Carbon Fiber Constructs for corpectomy reconstruction anteriorly (Acromed)
Surgical technique (with Arthur Steffee) for Posterior Pedicle Subtraction Osteotomy for correction of iatrogenic flatback
Developer of the “270 Degree Lumbar Reconstruction surgical concept
Spectracable for “Toppinf Off” posterior fusions at time of Graf Ligament (Arthur Steffee and Acromed)
Early pioneer and teacher for laparoscopic, BERG and thoracoscopic approaches to the anterior spine (David McCord, John Thalgott and Acromed)
First surgeon to perform Computer Assisted Robotic Laparoscopic Surgery (Computer Motion)
Co-Developer of ATAVI System for Endoscopic Minimally Invasive Posterior Pedicle Screw Instrumentation and Fusion (Endius)
Refinement in development of Title Pedicle Screw System for ATAVI (Endius)
Co-Development in TLIF Cages for endoscopic insertion (Endius)
ALIF and PLIF cages from allograft (Osteotech and Cortek)
Co-Developer of Acroflex Total Disc Replacement (lumbar and cervical) with Arthur Steffee (Acromed)
Instrumental in the further developments in Prosthetic Nucleus Replacement (PDN and Hydroflex)(Raymedica)
Advisory Board for development of TDR and Nucleus Replacement (SpineVision)
First to use and then refine Uni-thread Pedicle Screw System and C3 cervical Plate (SpineVision)
Co-Development for Spondyloreduction Instrument (SpineVision)
Animal experiments in use of Bioglass, a triphasic interface for bone stimulation
PI for Grafton and wrote the IDE for Osteotech and aided in the further development of their osteoconductive Demineralized Bone Matrices (DBM)
Advisory Board and surgeon user for Hydroxyapatite for osteoconduction for posterior and anterior fusions (Interpore Cross)
First surgeon and first clinical study on Autologous Growth Factors with Platelets and PDG-F and TGF-beta (Inteprore Cross)
Animal experiments and PI for IDE for Chrysallin ( a synthetic 15 amino acid precursor) to cause platelet aggregation and degradation for release of growth factors for osteoinduction
Role as EVP, Strategic Development for Paradigm Spine to be instrumental in acqusition, R&D and further implant refinements and writing the clinical studies for their platform of “non-fusion technologies:1) coflex : Interlaminar-Interspinous Dynamic Stabilization System for Spinal Stenosis 2) DSS Spinal Stabilization System, a posterior pedicle screw-rod dynamic system for DDD 3) Paradigm Spine Interspinous Plating System for stabilization of interbody fusions 4) Dynamic Cervical Implant, a metallic nucleus-like dynamic implant 5) Orthobiom, a non-fusion Scoliosis system for growth in adolescent scoliosis 6) Growing Spine Profiler, a non-fusion device for congenital scoliosis especially for Thoracic Insufficiency System 7) research support for molecular and genetic tests for diagnosis and prediction of scoliosis progression and mechanisms with possible agents to block or modulate the progression and personal development of additional anterior and posterior variations for scoliosis non-fusion as well as inventor of concept of cervical and lumbar hemi-disc